Otter Trail
Otterbourne
Children will enjoy spotting wildlife in the river, a ‘waterfall’, a miniature train and a small play area on this walk.
A little bridge provides a vantage point for spotting wildlife in the Itchen Navigation
The Basics
Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Distance: 5.1 km / 3.2 miles
Terrain: Uneven riverside paths that can be narrow due to vegetation in summer, a field, woodland, a stile, a reedbed, short section on roads with pavement and a brief section on a road without a pavement. We have had difficulty with mud and flooding in winter on this route and recommend following it in the summer months only.
Pushchair: This route is not suitable for pushchairs.
Dogs: Dogs are welcome on this walk but should not enter the water due to conservation.
Refreshments: Brambridge Garden Centre, which has a restaurant or picnic tables in Allbrook Meadow.
Toilets: There are no public toilets unless you are a customer of the garden centre.
Public Transport: Stagecoach route 61 between Winchester and Eastleigh stops at Osborne Mews on the junction with Pitmore Road where you can join this walk.
Parking: Free parking can be found along the side of Pitmore Road, closer to the bottom is better (Postcode: SO50 4LS - W3W - ///cape.star.expose)
The clear waters of The Itchen
This has been one of our most popular walks to date, and it is easy to see why. Follow beautiful River Itchen with its crystal clear, wildlife rich water for the first leg, before making an optional diversion to a garden centre café with a miniature steam railway. On the way home, the route takes you through woodland before passing a meadow with a small play and picnic area.
The Route
Head down Pitmore Road and at the bottom, turn left to join Highbridge Road. Walk along the pavement and go under the railway bridge. Look out for the gushing water of Allbrook Lock on your left. Immediately after the lock, you will need to turn left to join the footpath. Walk along the path with the water of the Itchen Navigation to your left. This is a beautiful stretch of the old navigation with plenty of wildlife to look out for.
Eventually, the path will hit Kiln Lane*. Turn left and go over the bridge and then immediately re-join the path on your right after the bridge.
The water will now be on your right. Walk past the wooden fence panels of a property and continue over a little boardwalk and past a weir. Walk along this section of path until you see a concrete bridge to your right. Do not go over the bridge, but continue onwards. This is a point of reference for your next turning which will be in a few metres on your left, but is not signed. There is a footpath heading away from the river, down a recently repaired bank and into trees. It is easy to walk past the path and not notice it, but look out for a little yellow arrow painted onto some trees to guide you. Follow the path once you have found it. You will go through trees initially before crossing a reed bed and then back into trees. Once back in the trees, you will come to a fork, where you should take the left path. Walk a little further and you will come to a junction, where you should go left again.
You will be walking with the railway track close to your right side and should turn right when you see the tunnel and go under the railway. Afterwards, turn immediately left and this time continue with the tracks to your left. The narrow path will open out into a graveyard with no church.
Cross the graveyard and hit Kiln Lane again. Turn right and shortly you will see an entranceway on your left with a tree in the middle and a ‘private’ sign tacked on. Go over the stile next to a large gate and follow the worn path across the middle of a field.
At the other side of the field, the path enters Otterbourne Park Wood. Go over a wooden railway sleeper and into the woods. Follow the orange/yellow Otter Trail marker ahead of you and then almost immediately after that, take the left path at a fork. Stick with the same path now, keeping the edge of the woodland and glimpses of the fields beyond to your left the entire time. You will need to cross a little stream using another railway sleeper and then go around a large tree that has fallen onto the path. The path will then climb slightly and when it flattens again the orange/yellow otter paw marker will guide you left over a little wooden bridge over the stream. At the next otter trail sign, veer left around a lot of felled trees. Descend down to your left until you are almost touching the boundary fence, but then go right and keep walking with the fence to your left. Follow the path and go through an old rusted metal gateway. To the left will be some coniferous trees, follow the path as it veers to the right, up and away from them. At the top of this section of path, you will hit a vehicle track.
Ahead of you will be some pony paddocks. Turn left down the track. This track will lead you back out onto Pitmore Road where you parked your car. Just before you get to the road, look out on your left for an opening into Allbrook Meadow. There are picnic tables here and a small children’s play area.
* If you want refreshments, you could take a diversion to Brambridge Garden Centre which has a café as well as a miniature steam railway (weekends, £1.90). A few metres before before you reach Kiln Lane, head right through the trees on an unofficial path and go up the bank to join the road. Veer right at the road and go over the bridge. You will see the entrance on the other side. If this shortcut is too muddy, you will need to walk along Kiln Lane to reach it.
Please note that parts of the path after Kiln Lane in section three above is prone to flooding in periods of wet weather. It can be impassable, even in wellies. In this event, head back to Kiln Lane and walk along the road to re-join the walk at section five.
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Did you know?
As the name of this trail suggests, Otters do live on the Itchen but they tend to be active at night, when they hunt the waters for eel and other fish, so it is unlikely that you will see one. During the day they lie up in sheltered ‘holts’, such as under tree roots near the river.
If you enjoyed this walk…
…try walking along the Itchen Way in the other direction to Bishopstoke
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